It was a true tale of two halves for Ohio State but they pulled out the victory and finished off the year with a 9-3 record after defeating Alabama A&M 90-59. In this game we saw the return of two Buckeyes ahead of a stretch of conference play.
There were plenty of good things that came with this win for Chris Holtmann and this ever improving group. The freshman continue to impress and the depth obviously increased with two Bucks competing back after time off. Here is what we learned from Ohio State’s solid win against an overmatched Alabama A&M team before the New Year’s Eve and the big game.
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The whole team was sluggish in the first half
Halfway there. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/XGKPVDGVNC
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) December 29, 2022
We all know that the holiday break can be difficult on college students, getting a few days to visit with family and friends, but for athletes it’s a different story. Staying fresh and ready isn’t as easy at home with all the distractions. It took the first half for the Buckeyes to wake up, as they held onto a slim 36-33 lead. As a team, Ohio State shot 2/12 from three and 10/18 from the free throw line. Not ideal and against stiffer competition, the first half most likely would not have seen the Buckeyes leading at the half.
The second half was a different story
What a start to the second half for @OhioStateHoops ‼️ pic.twitter.com/Uqvg7KCTCd
— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) December 29, 2022
The Buckeyes exploded for 54 points in the second half and cruised to what will look like an impressive win. Justice Sueing had just 5 points at the half but finished with 18, a huge turnaround. Star freshman Brice Sensabaugh almost doubled his first half output ending with 21 points and six rebounds. Bruce Thornton also chipped in four of his 12 during the second half. Whatever Holtmann said to the team at halftime worked.
Nice to see the return of Eugene Brown III and Isaac Likekele
WELCOME BACK, ICE & HELLO, ZED KEY
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) December 29, 2022
While missing Brown III and Likekele, the team went with a much shorter rotation and it may have cost them the North Carolina game. By getting these two back, it gave a much needed rest for the other players. Yes, they didn’t score much, but getting their feet wet before getting back to the Big Ten portion of the schedule will surely help. Likekele’s status was a play if he was needed and after the majority first half struggles with him on the bench, he was. An immediate impact at the end of the first half that carried over to the second, he found teammates for open looks and chipped in 5 assists. Great to see these two getting healthy for the next few months.
Sensabaugh is trending in rare company
BRIC3️⃣ S3️⃣NSABAUGH. 👌@bricepsensa x @OhioStateHoops pic.twitter.com/IjWBnZImzR
— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) December 29, 2022
There are just three true freshman to lead Ohio State in scoring since 2000, Jared Sullinger, D’Angelo Russell and Greg Oden. All three would be selected in the NBA Draft’s initial round and if Sensabaugh continues to stay atop of the scoring chart for the Buckeyes this season, he might join their rare company. With 21 points today, the true freshman is now averaging almost 16 points-per-game, more than two over Zed Key. He very well could join the impressive trio in leading the Buckeyes in scoring as a true freshman.
The Big Ten road won’t be easy
See ya next year 😉#Team124 | #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/zQGNjstfsx
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) December 29, 2022
The schedule gods surely didn’t help out the Buckeyes. Over the next 11 games, all Big Ten contests, this group won’t have back-to-back home games until they face Northwestern and Michigan State in early February. This group needs to turn into road warriors. Although just one of the games is against a ranked opponent, No. 1 Purdue at home, we all know how much of a grind the conference schedule can be. If this team can hold up during this stretch, they will reap the rewards come March.
